Possible answers: Don’t write full sentences. Use key words and phrases. Use symbols and abbreviations.

EFL 102/112. Unit 1: Part 1. Teacher’s Notes.

(ii) Science NewsText 1.

Write text 1 notes on BB. Explain that it is taken from Newscientist online.

Multiplayer online computer games – over $1B income for 1st time – 2004. (estimate) Ask: What do these notes mean?”
Possible answers:

Multiplayer online computer games will probably make over one billion dollars in 2004.

or

It is estimated that over one billion dollars will be earned from multiplayer online computer games in 2004.(iii) Students look at the original text 1. ( handout text 1 -2).
“Multiplayer online computer games are expected to generate more than $ 1 billion in revenue for the first time in 2004, according to a new prediction.”Go over the meaning of any difficult words.

“The debate over whether to build the world’s biggest nuclear fusion facility in France or Japan is heating up.”

EFL102/112. Unit 1:Part 1. Teacher’s Notes.

Step 3:Students practise deleting unnecessary words and reconstructing meaning from notes.Select from Science News Texts 3 – 10 according to your class.(i) Write prompt words on BB from whichever science news texts you select. Elicit students’ knowledge / guesses about these current news items.
e.g. Bush – Moon - Mars Mars – spacecraft future research projects
(ii) Ask pre-questions about 2 – 3 of the texts to help students get at the meaning. Give help with unknown words as necessary. (the number of texts used will depend on the level of the class.)
(iii) Students practice deleting unnecessary words but keep the key words. T checks.

Students may need dictionaries.

(iv) Students write the key words in their notebooks and cover the original texts. Students write a full sentence from the key words (using their own words where possible) without referring to the original text. T checks and elicits corrections. T could write students sentences on an OHT and do whole class corrections, making sure that the main points are included and working on any grammar problems.

Online games to generate real riches“The bulk of the $1.3 billion earnings predicted by UK analysts will come from player subscriptions to games such as Everquest, The Sims Online, and Star Wars Galaxies. But around $200 million is also expected to be generated by in-game advertising and sales of player accounts.”

How much money do you think will be made in the UK from online games this year?

Sample notes:

Earnings from online games ( UK forecast )

Total $1.3B from:

player subscriptions

in-game adverts & sales of player accounts ( $200M.)

Text 4.Pre-questions:

What is a computer worm? Have you ever had a virus on your computer? What did it do to your computer? Bagle computer worm may be first of manyA computer worm designed to expire within a week has caught the attention of computer experts who fear it may be a prototype for a much nastier specimen.
The worm – called Bagle A – spreads as an attachment to an email claiming to have come from a computer administrator. If a user executes the program, a copy is sent to every address in their email contact book.

What is the news story about Mars? Have you seen any of the pictures sent back from Mars? What does Mars look like? Has anything been found on Mars?

Scientists examine first images from Mars Express
A landscape gashed with valleys is revealed in the first image from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter.

Mission managers switched on six of the spacecraft’s seven instruments on January 12 and 13. These will study the planet’s atmosphere and geology. The spacecraft will ease into its final elliptical orbit on 28 January. The last instrument, which will probe the top five kilometers of the crust with radar, will be activated in April.

What kind of research is currently going on in science? possible answers: nuclear, genetic ) Read the text and find out what kind of research the US will invest in.

Research projectsMaking clean energy by nuclear fusion and building supercomputers to speed up scientific research are the top priorities in physical science, according to a new US Department of Energy road map.
Other major projects given a top ranking include designing microbes to scrub the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and searching for the mysterious dark energy that is driving the expansion of the Universe.

Where is the Arctic? What is the Arctic like? How is the Arctic changing?

Arctic warmingA NASA satellite survey of the Arctic has revealed just how rapidly the region is warming. The overall trend of rising temperature over the past 20 years is eight times higher than that recorded by ground measurements over the last century.
The satellite observations are vital because they can cover the whole Arctic, not just the regions accessible to researchers on the surface. The data also shows that summer sea ice cover is continuing its retreat.

Sample notes:

Results of NASA satellite survey of Arctic:

(i) Increasing temps. – 8 times higher in last 20 yrs. compared to measurmnts. in last century.

(ii) summer sea ice – still retreating.

EFL 112. Unit 1: science news texts 9-10. (Teacher’s Notes)

Text 9.
Pre-questions:

What is a heatwave? Would you expect people to die from heat in Turkey? France? UK? Why / why not?

European heatwave caused 35,000 deathsAt least 35,000 people died as a result of the record heatwave that scorched Europe in August 2003, says an environmental think tank.
The searing August heat claimed about 7,000 lives in Germany and nearly 4,200 lives in both Spain and Italy. Over 2,000 people died in the UK, with the country recording its first ever temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on 10th August.

Sample notes:

Heatwave deaths Aug.’03.

35,000 – Europe

7000-Germany

4,200-Spain + Italy

2,000-UK (10 Aug. - 1st time over 100ºF).Text 10.

Pre-questions:

What is happening to the world’s temperatures? Why?

Silent killerAugust 2003 was the hottest August on record in the northern hemisphere. By the end of this century, the average world temperature is projected to climb by 1.4 to 5.8 degrees centigrade.

Sample notes:

Aug.’03-hottest Aug. in N.Hemisphr.

By end of cent temps up by 1.4 - 5.8ºC.

EFL 102.Unit 1: science news texts 1 – 4 ( B ). Teacher’s notes.

TEXT 1.

Pre-questions: Do you have any online games? Which one? How much did the game cost? How much money do you think the UK will make from online computer games in one year?

Online computer games are expected to make more than $1 billion for the first time in 2004, according to a new forecast.

Notes: computer games-over $1B for 1st time-2004.

TEXT 2.

Pre-questions: Are there any nuclear power stations in your country? Would you like to live near one? What are the advantages of nuclear power?

There is a debate over whether to build the world’s biggest nuclear power plant in France or in Japan.

Notes: construct world’s largest nuclear site – France? Japan?

TEXT 3.

Pre-questions: Can you name some well-known computer games?

How can a company such as Microsoft make money from online games?

Most of the $1.3 billion earnings predicted by UK analysts will come from player subscriptions to games such as Everquest, The Sims Online, and Star Wars Galaxies. But around $200 million is also expected to be generated by in-game advertising.

Notes:earnings from online games (UK forecast)

total $1.3 B. Mainly from player subscriptions. $200 M. from in-game advertising.

TEXT 4.

Pre -questions: What is a computer worm? Have you ever had a virus on your computer? What did it do to your computer? Bagle computer worm may be first of many.

Computer experts fear that the computer worm called Bagle is a prototype for a much more dangerous virus.

The worm – called Bagle A – spreads as an attachment to an email claiming to have come from a computer administrator. If a user activates the program, a copy is sent to every address in their email contact book.
Notes: Computer worm-Bagle A – prototype? from computer administrator as attachment to email. if opened → goes to all email contacts in addrs. bk.

EFL 102. Unit 1. science news texts 5 – 6 (B ). Teacher’s notes.TEXT 5.Pre-questions:
What is the news story about Mars? Have you seen any of the pictures sent back from Mars? What does Mars look like? Has anything been found on Mars?

Scientists examine first images from Mars ExpressA landscape with valleys is shown in the first image from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft.
Mission managers switched on six of the spacecraft’s seven instruments on January 12 and 13. These will study the planet’s atmosphere and geology. The spacecraft will move into its final elliptical orbit on 28 January. The last instrument, which will probe the top five kilometers of the crust with radar, will be activated in April.

Notes:

First pics. from Mars Express - landscape with valleys.

12,13 Jan. – start study of planet’s atmosphere and geology.

28 Jan. –final orbit.

April – probe top crust.

TEXT 6. Pre-questions:

What are the USA’s plans for future space exploration?

Which planets do you think they will want to explore?

Bush reveals plan for Moon and MarsRobots will arrive on the Moon in 2008, with astronauts following in a new spacecraft as early as 2015 – and then turning towards Mars.

Notes:2008 – robots on Moon

2015 – astronauts on Moon – then to Mars.

EFL 102. Unit 1. science news texts 7 – 8 (B ). Teacher’s notes.

TEXT 7.

Pre-questions:

What kind of research is currently going on in science? possible answers: nuclear, genetics) Read the text and find out what kind of research the US will invest in.

Research projectsMaking clean energy by nuclear fusion and building supercomputers to speed up scientific research are the top priorities in physical science, according to a new US Department of Energy road map.
Other major projects will include designing microbes to clean the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and searching for the mysterious dark energy that is driving the expansion of the Universe.

Notes:

US Dept.Energy-research plans:

clean energy by nuclear fusion

build supercomputers- get faster results

design microbes to clean atmosphere

investigate dark matte.

TEXT 8.Pre-questions:

Where is the Arctic? What is the Acrtic like? How is the Arctic changing?

Arctic warming.A NASA satellite survey of the Arctic has shown how rapidly the region is warming. The overall trend of rising temperature over the past 20 years is eight times higher than that recorded by ground measurements over the last century.
The data also shows that summer sea ice cover is continuing its retreat.

What is a heatwave? Would you expect people to die from heat in Turkey? France? UK? Why / why not?

European heatwave caused 35,000 deaths.At least 35,000 people died as a result of the record heatwave in Europe in August 2003, says an environmental group.
The August heat claimed about 7,000 lives in Germany and nearly 4,200 lives in both Spain and Italy. Over 2,000 people died in the UK, with the country recording its first ever temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on 10th August.

Notes:

Heatwave deaths Aug. 03.

35,000 - Europe

7000 - Germany

4,200 - Spain + Italy

2,000 - UK ( 10 Aug 1st time over 100ºF )

TEXT 10.Pre-questions:

What is happening to the world’s temperatures? Why?

Silent killer.August 2003 was the hottest August on record in the northern hemisphere. By the end of this century, the average world temperature is projected to climb by 1.4 to 5.8 degrees centigrade.